Two More Clara Baby Dresses

I blinked sometime back in May, and without warning arrived in the middle of August. School started Monday, and I feel like I have so little show for three months time. Usually I’m accomplishing all these huge projects and checking things of my to do list, but not this summer. We’ve had a lot of really great family time, away camping. We had the gift of my sister and her family being with us for two weeks from Australia. And that is priceless and immeasurable. So I will store that in my heart and count it as a success, although, it does make for less blogging material.

I have gotten a few tiny projects in. I have continued to sew for my sweet little daughter, who just turned one last week (how did that happen?). Really, sewing for my daughter is something I’ve dreamed about for many years, so that in itself is a substantial blessing. I have now made a total of four Clara Baby Dresses, pattern by Violette Fields Threads. (To see the other dresses made up in this, go here for the birdie dress, and here for the swanling dress). I love this pattern for many reasons. One, there aren’t a lot of stylish baby patterns out there. Two, it’s a quick sew. Three, I love, love, love the full skirt. And four, its short enough that a crawling baby is not inhibited by the length of the dress. I love little girls in dresses, but have always felt sorry for babies who are subjected to crawling in place because of the length of their dress.

So I made two more of these darling dresses. They also work so well in a cooler climate because I can just throw a pretty little cardigan over the top.

The first one I made was with this sweet little arrow print I bought last summer, before our daughter was even born. I’ve had this thing for arrows, even before they became popular. And it’s because of the verses in Psalm 127. “Children are a heritage from the LORD…like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.” We once had a friend jokingly tell us our quiver wasn’t full until there were five. I was pregnant with my fourth at the time. I guess we qualify now.

The other recent Clara Dress I made was more in line with my French obsession. The combination of black and white stripes and floral pattern are pure happiness to me. And until my daughter can voice her own style, I’m dressing her. So French it is. I love how this turned out! I only had a small amount of this floral left (its a print I used in her nursery as well), so the skirt is not as full. But I LOVE it.

The buttons and the small bow in back are the details I am smitten with.

And it makes me happy when we’re out and about, and people say things like, “I love how you dress your daughter.” And I say “thank you” and just smile.

She is at that super mobile/active stage, so trying to get one decent, non-blurry photo is very tricky. So I’ll take what I can get, even thought it’s not perfect. I have a real daughter after all, not a doll. And I am every so grateful!